Our family’s secret: We didn’t pack for a year, we packed for a week
What to pack for kids and teens on vacation or long-term travel can be less complicated than you might think.
Carryon travel backpack recommendation guides
Kid & teen packs
Guide for adults
Digital nomad pack
A helpful rule of thumb for packing
Everyone’s packing needs are going to be different. However, a rule of thumb from travel expert Rick Steves has served us well:
- Pack what you need for one week
- Expect to do laundry at least once
- Use one bag per person
Our full-time travels started as a year, but we packed our backpacks as if we’d be gone a week. Not only did that attitude help us focus, pare down, and simplify. It reminded us that we’d do laundry regularly, and that we’d have far less fatigue on big travel days if we had less stuff to schlep around.
What our children’s backpacks are for…and what they’re not
Our children’s backpacks are incredible, but they are not the whole of what we need on the road. When you and your child are choosing the right backpack for your kid or teen, here are some things to keep in mind about what you’ll want to pack in that pack, or what may be better off packed elsewhere… or even left at home.
What our children’s backpacks are for
In a nutshell, our children’s backpacks are for things that are theirs, for their own personal use, such as:
- Clothes
- Toiletries (that can be packed in a carry-on, per flying rules such as the USA’s TSA)
- E-readers
- Tablets or other tech
- Mementoes
- Cozy friends
Jodie and I don’t carry these things for our kids. Personally, our philosophy is that if a child is the right size to carry their own pack, then carrying their own stuff is part of responsibility when traveling.
What are children’s backpacks are NOT for
Conversely, some things don’t need to be packed with the children’s personal effects. Their space is limited, as is the weight of how much they can carry. Here are things we don’t pack in the children’s packs. Instead, they go in one of the family rollies:
- Items the family shares, such as toothpaste, board games, or umbrellas
- Medicine/first aid supplies
- Passports and travel documents (either I carry it, or Jodie and I split these between us)
- Shared tech (such as portable chargers)book bag
What should kids pack, and what should they leave home?
This is a tricky one, and ultimately, it’s a pretty personal decision and depends on the child’s age.
Instead of mentioning specific items, we’re going to note our personal overall rule of thumb:
If something won’t be used consistently, or if something is going to be a problem for the child to carry, it needs to stay home.
Your kid might want to pack things better left at home. Sometimes there are rules elsewhere that come into play. For example, back in the USA, Connor and I each carry a multi-tool, but we don’t travel abroad with them since laws, flying rules, etc., make it too risky we’d have to surrender them.
Your kid also might want to pack something that they don’t need, but it may be better to let it ride.
After all, it’s your kid’s backpack, and carrying it is their responsibility.
Your travels will probably go more smoothly if they have some say in what they pack, even if it’s not ideal—in your view, anyway. As long as it’s not going to cause a problem or break the rules of your destination, it may be better to let your kid pack it and see how they really like traveling with it.
In our family, we typically approach this by making it clear that if they want it, they have to carry it. No one else will. If there are complaints, we remind them that they chose to pack it, and if it’s too much of a problem for them to carry it, we can find another home for it.
What our kids pack
If you could look inside Connor and Aster’s backpacks, here’s what you’d find:
Aster’s backpack
- Water bottle
- Cozy friends (a couple of small ones, plus her beloved otter)
- E-reader
- Security chain
- Hair wraps
- Hairbrush
- Small zippered bag that holds cords, hair clips, and dice
- Small zippered jewelry bag
- Wallet
- Shoulder-sling water bottle carrier
- Tablet
- Portable game console
- Headphones
- Small zippered bag that holds her “cat army” of figurines that she puts out wherever we stay
- 3 long-sleeve dresses
- 2 short-sleeve dresses
- 2 leggings
- 2 shorts
- 4 pairs of socks
- 5 pairs of underwear
- 45 bras
- 1 pair of slippers
Connor’s backpack
- Water bottle
- Zippered hoodie
- Cozy friends (including his favorite life-sized Eevee Pokemon)
- Hairbrush
- Security cable
- Wallet
- Bandanna
- Hair wrap
- Shoulder-sling water bottle holder
- Toiletry bag
- 2 pairs of pants
- 2 pairs of shorts
- 5 pairs of underwear
- 5 short-sleeve shirts
- 4 pairs of socks
- Tablet
- E-reader
- Small zippered bag for cords and dice
- Small zippered bag that holds some personal souvenirs that he puts on display wherever we stay
- Earbuds
- 1 pair of slippers
How we pack other items
As we mentioned, we travel with two small rollies too. We use those for family effects and homeschool supplies, from our One Piece Straw Hat Jolly Roger flag, to toiletries that are easier to check. That way the kids don’t have to carry as much on their backs.
You’ll notice that we don’t mention things like passports. We adults carry all the important documents, but the kids often carry some pocket money.
Pack right and get the right carryon travel backpacks for kids & teens
Whether traveling for a week or a year, kids and teens can pack far less than you might think. Next up, check out our recommendations for the right packs for kids and teens.
